The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-03-24
Romance OF the Mines.

..This is indeed peculiar world,
said mining expert at the Planters
House yesterday. 'sHere pick up the
papers and read of Mrs. Mackay's do
ings in Paris-how she receives the
scions of royalty. how she entertains,
how she appears at the opera, how she
dresses, and how she does a thousand
other things; and then l can scarcely
conceive that eighteen years ago she
kept boarding-house in Virginia City
and that was one of her boarders.
Yet it is true, and l often ponder over
it. She was young widow then,
with an interesting child who has
since matured into a young lady and
was recently married to an Italian
Prince of some kind. That little girl
has often sat on my knee with little
tin can in her hand which contained
the contributions of her admirers. In
those days we lived principally on can
ned food, and Mrs. Mackay's back
yard was paved with tin cans. The
child had selected a very pretty can,
which one of the boarders transformed
into little bank. This was partly
filled with coin, the result of a tribute
which she levied on her friends. She
would climb on the boarders' knees,
and, shaking her little bank, would
say: is you lucky to-day?' This
query had the desired effect, and the
bank receipts were increased. Even
in her days of distress Mrs. Mackay
was a good woman. She personally
superintended affairs and made her
boarders as comfortable as possible. l
was then a superintendent under Fair,
and Mackay was already millionaire
Mining stock was the rage then and l
remember often how she would come
to me and some of the other boarders
and ask our advice about certain stocks,
and | am happy to say that the advice
| | gave her was good, and if l had
taken it myself would now be So
| 900, 900 or Sc, 900, 900 better off than
am.
Then Mackay took a shine to the
widow, and being 'reputed one of the
wealthiest men in the camp he found
smooth sailing. He couldn't win on
his shape nor his beauty, for everybody
who has seen Mackay knows that he
wouldn't take prize in a congress OF
beauty. They were married, and the
little girl no longer sat on miners
knees, and mammals delicate hand
no longer placed cornbeef and cabbage
on miners plates. They rose faster
than Sheridan stock did last summer,
the only difference being that their rise
was backed by hard coin. The great
Comstock lode continued to pour forth
| its riches and Mackay and his partner
became immensely wealthy. Although
reared in poor circumstances, Mrs,
Mackay showed her good sense by Sc
curing private tutor, by whom she
was drilled and educated for five years
The little daughter was put through
| the same course and fitted to shine in
the most cultured society of the OLD
World. Then came the oonquests in
| New York, San Francisco, and finally
the trips to Europe. A year ago wa;
in Paris and one evening attended {
performance at the Grand Opera-House
1t was the first night, and prominent
in Il private box were two ladies be
decked with diamonds and festooneo
with flowers, They were the cynosurt
of all eyes and, leveling my glasses,
discovered behind the silks, flowers
and diamonds the face of my forme
landlady in Virginia City. The out
lines were the same, but time hat
wrought its changes. The young lad.
with her was the little girl who uset
to play on my knee. She had grow
out of my recollection, As ! stoot
looking at them midst the flashing
lights, the incense of flowers, and th'
delicious music, could not help re
calling something of
Some one who breasted high water,
Swan the North Fork and all that,
Just to dance with old Foanshee's daughter
The lily OF Poverty Flat.
st. Louis Republican.